Americain is the fifth of our US bred winners of that race. His win was impressive, as was his lead up victory in the Geelong Cup, a path also followed by the last winning US bred, Media Puzzle.
Americain was having his 19th start in the Melbourne Cup, and it became his 8th win; taking his winning sequence to five. Although bred in the US, Americain commenced his racing career in France. He won his first start as a 2yo over 1400m. Americain is only relatively lightly raced, but after winning the Group 2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigeur in May, 2009, he returned to his native US for a tilt at some of their big races. He was to run 7th in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga, before stepping back in class. His next two starts in the US could only produce a 9th in a field of twelve in the Grade 3 Turf event at Keeneland before his owners sent him back to France. Clearly he did not seem to acclimatise to the US racing scene, as his first start back in France saw him run a much improved 5th first up in June this year in a Listed race over 15 furlongs. Second up, he was to start his current stretch of wins with victory in a 4yo and up handicap at Clairefontaine. Since his sojourn to the US though, he has not looked back, and it is hard to imagine the horse that won twice so well in Australia was the same animal that struggled in fairly modest company in the US.
The 5yo horse in Northern Hemisphere time is a son of the US stallion, Dynaformer. Dynaformer was a good racehorse himself, winning seven of his thirty starts for total stakes earnings of almost $700,000. He won twice at Grade 2 level as a 3yo, and started five times as a 2yo for one win. As a four year old, he was placed in a Grade 2 event over approximately 2400m. At stud though, Dynaformer has certainly stamped himself among the US’ greatest current stallions. Standing at Three Chimneys Farm for a fee of US$150,000, Dynaformer was the leading US sire in 2005 and has been in the top three stallions almost every season since. Dynaformer is perhaps best known as the sire of the illfated Barbaro who tragically broke down in the Preakness Stakes after a dominant victory in the Kentucky Derby. Dramatic footage of the injury made world wide headlines, but it was the aftermath that was equally enthralling to many. Barbaro underwent a total of six operations, and had numerous complications with Laminitis being the most serious due to his long periods of inactivity. Eventually, in January 2009, some eight months after the Preakness, Barbaro was euthanized bringing to a close such a tragic chapter in US racing.
Dynaformer is a son of Roberto, who in turn is by Hail To Reason, by Turn-To. Interestingly, this sire line traces to Nearco, although is one of relatively few non-Northern Dancer lines we see in the modern thoroughbred tracing to this stallion. He is out of a His Majesty mare, called Andover Way who herself was a Grade 1 winner. She is also the dam of White Bridle who has stood in Australia since 1992. White Bridle though is by Seattle Slew, a son of Bold Reasoning who also interestingly traces back to a non-Northern Dancer line of Nearco. Unfortunately, White Bridle has had limited success in Australia, producing only two stakes winners in AJC St Leger winner, Bridleman, and Frank Underwood Cup and Darwin Cup winner, Mcjoey. The apparent staying focus of the family would appear to have dented his chances locally, and it would have been interesting to see if Dynaformer would have had results to match the US, or his half brother had he stood in Australia. For those interested in pedigree patterns, both Dynaformer and White Bridle, being by a His Majesty mare out of a Nearco line stallion should note the similarity with Danehill, who is also from a Nearco line stallion from a His Majesty mare.
Americain is out of a mare called America by Arazi, who also is at stud in Australia. Arazi was an exceptional racehorse, winning four Group 1 races in both France and the US, including the famed Breeders’ Cup Juvenile event. He is by Blushing Groom out of the wonderful mare, Danseur Fabuleux who also gave us Noverre who is a three quarter brother to Arazi. Danseur Fabuleux is from the female family of Dinner Partner who gave us stallions like Jim French and Serheed, and later the likes of Japanese champions Dance In The Dark and Dance Partner, and interestingly local speedsters in Sir Success and Swiss Ace. His second dam is by the very good stallion, Green Dancer by Nijinsky.
However, it is Americain’s own female line that is one of the greatest in the stud book, tracing to the wonderful mare, Chelandry. Chelandry was simply remarkable both on the track and in the breeding barn. She was clearly the dominant 2yo of her season, and went on to win the One Thousand Guineas at three, but struggled as the distances increased. At stud, she produced numerous quality runners, although most were to go on to create their own breeding dynasties. Among the horses produced by daughters of Chelandry are such wonderful influences as two of Australia’s best racehorses and sires in Magpie and Heroic. Americain though traces back to Chelandry’s first foal, a filly by Ayrshire called Skyscraper who was to win stakes races at both two and three. She produced the good stallion, Syce who was to have a major impact in Australia and in particular in Queensland having stood at Lyndhurst Stud. Newmarket and Oakleigh Plate winner, Molly’s Robe was among his best.
It is probably fair to say that Skyscraper was not the most important of Chelandry’s daughters, but this will just underline how influential the family has been. We see the wonderful stallion of the 1950’s and 60’s, Never Say Die as one of the major branches of Skyscraper’s line. In Australia, we also see that High Chaparral, the emerging sire of the likes of Spring Champion, So You Think is another from this same line. In Australia we have also seen the likes of Zoffany ensure that this branch of the family continues to be at the forefront of breeding. Among other runners from this line is the former Queensland based son of Whiskey Road in Civic Hope, as well as the former Stradbroke winner in St Basil. The good stayer of the 1990’s, Perth Cup winner, Heed The Toll, incidentally by Serheed who we saw from the family of Arazi, is but another local horse from this direct family.
In terms of his own pedigree, we see that Americain has only one duplication within five generations of his pedigree, with that being the great Nasrullah, a son of Nearco. Nearco himself is subsequently found in four separate lines in his sixth generation, while Nasrullah is also present again in that generation. The stallions Sir Gallahad III and Eight Thirty are also duplicated in the first six generations of Americain’s pedigree. We saw three lines of Sir Gallahad III present in the pedigree of At Talaq, so it is interesting to see the possible influence that this horse may have had on the Melbourne Cup imports. Americain’s dosage profile reads [0.34/1.46] which again is not far from some of the other US bred winners of the Melbourne Cup.
This brings to a close our look at the US bred Melbourne Cup winners. There are a number of similarities in most, and I am sure that breeders and buyers would be well served to examine the pedigrees of these runners if they intend to try and breed a Melbourne Cup winner from locally based US influences, or by purchasing a US bred horse.